Batter&#39;s Box

ABSTRACT

The Batter&#39;s Box device is an instruction tool to help children, primarily but not limited to ages 5-12, learn two aspects of proper hitting mechanics for baseball and softball: 1) feet placement base, and 2) stride. Stride has two components, length and direction. The batter&#39;s box teaches feet placement and stride by limiting the movement of the batter&#39;s feet. The batter&#39;s box is a rectangular frame that is placed on the ground. The batter stands in the frame of the batter&#39;s box and two bungee cords, one attached to the frame in front of the back foot and one attached to the frame in front of the lead, or stride, foot, create a barrier that will constrain the batter&#39;s feet (the back foot and the stride foot) if they move with improper technique. The batter&#39;s box is adjustable for player&#39;s of different height and size. The frame may be widened and the restrictive bungee cords can be placed at various increments to complement longer or shorter legs.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

No federal government funds were used in researching or developing thisinvention.

BACKGROUND FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to sporting equipment, namely a baseball trainingaccessory for stance and stride training of beginning players.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

U.S. Pat. No. 7,090,599 discloses a baseball batting stance trainingassembly. The assembly essentially comprises a stance training mat.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,988,966 discloses a method for controlling a batter'sfoot by anchoring the rear foot to the ground using a restrictive strap.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,625 discloses a batter stance training device thatconssists of a frame having moveable strips of cloth to provide footguides.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,906,627 discloses a foot positioning training devicewith a mat having a transmitter and receiver to establish an electriceye. The electric eye is tied to an alarm that indicates when a batterhas taken an improper stride while swinging the bat.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,579,195 discloses a swing path frame having guide posts.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,818 discloses an athletic training mat.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,976,026 discloses a balance training device for traininggolf and baseball swings.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,856 discloses a device for training batters toproperly shift weight to the back leg at the beginning of a swing and toshift weight to the front leg during a swing when striking the ball inbaseball and similar games. The device includes a strap which ties theleft arm to the left ankle.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,677 discloses a batter training device where thelead foot imacts a strike plate to stop the stride.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,176 discloses a stance and stride training mat.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,656 discloses an astroturf mat having marker numbersalong the side and cloth flags to use as guides.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,979,116 discloses a batter's training device thatcomprises a mat made from a sheet material.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The Batter's Box device is an instruction tool to help children,primarily but not limited to ages 5-12, learn two aspects of properhitting mechanics for baseball and softball: 1) feet placement/base, and2) stride (FIG. 3). Stride has two components, length and direction. Thebatter's box teaches feet placement and stride by limiting the movementof the batter's feet. The batter's box is a rectangular frame that isplaced on the ground. The batter stands in the frame of the batter's boxand two bungee cords, one attached to the frame in front of the backfoot and one attached to the frame in front of the lead, or stride,foot, create a barrier that will constrain the batter's feet (the backfoot and the stride foot) if they move with improper technique.According to most authorities, proper feet placement and stride are twoof the most important mechanics to master in order to achieve hittingsuccess.

In one preferred embodiment, there is provided a portable device forteaching proper batting stance and stride to a baseball player,comprising: a rigid frame that is substantially rectangular in shape andof a size which allows the player to stand inside the frame, the framehaving an elongated near-side member and an elongated far-side member,wherein the near-side member and far-side member form the longer sidesof the rectangle shape, wherein the area inside the frame is definedinto a rear section, a middle section, and a front section, and whereineach of the rear, middle, and front sections contain at least oneelastic cord, each elastic cords is attached to the rigid frame and eachelastic cord is substantially parallel to each other such that theelastic cords span the rigid frame by being connected between thenear-side member of the rigid frame and the far-side member of the rigidframe, and wherein elastic cords are adjustable to define a variety ofsizes of sections within the rigid frame, and wherein the rigid framehas two or more folding joints to allow the device to be folded into asmaller size.

In another preferred embodiment, the elastic cords are bungee cords andattached to the rigid frame by using eyelet-hooks.

In another preferred embodiment, the rigid frame is at least 0.5 inchesin height and provides a raised boundary. It is contemplated that therange of the height of the rigid frame is from about 0.5 inches to about0.75 inches, or functionally capable of providing feedback to the userwithout unnecessarily increasing the risk of injury.

In another preferred embodiment, the device folds into a a compact unitthat is, without being limiting, substantially square in shape. It iscontemplated that square and rectangular shapes will result from compactfolding of the unit. In one example, the unit has two length-wise foldsi.e. three sections. In this non-limiting example, where the length ofthe frame totals 54 inches, the length of each section would measure 18inches on a side. Along these lines, a 3-fold frame (4 section unit)would measure 13.5 inches per section to establish a 54 inch frame whenunfolded, a single-fold frame (2 section unit) would measure 27 inchesper section to establish a 54 inch total length when unfolded. Althoughone embodiment is about 54 inches in total length, it is contemplatedthat the length of the frame can range from about 48 to about 72 inches,more preferably from about 50 inches to about 60 inches, and morepreferably about 54 inches. The above calculations would be varied inaccordance with the designed length.

Where a frame ranges from about 0.5 to about 0.75 inches to about 1.0inches in height, it follows that a three-section frame wouldnecessarily range in height a corresponding amount when the frame is inits folded position. The frame height is relevant in that the portablenature of the device dictates a user friendly size and shape for easystorage into a typical equipment bag. Accordingly, when the frame is 0.5inch in diameter, two-section frame 0.5 inch in height folds to 1.0inch, a three section frame 0.5 in height folds to 1.5 inches, afour-section frame folds to 2.0 inches. Where a frame is constructed of0.75 inch diameter material or 1.0 inch diameter material, the foldedheights are 1.5 or 2.0 inches, respectively, for a two-section frame,2.25 inches or 3.0 inches, respectively for a three-section, and soforth.

In another preferred embodiment, the rigid frame has a plurality of footposition indicators.

In a further preferred embodiment, the frame is adjustable in width toaccommodate variety in the size of the players feet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1( a) is a top view of the batter's box. FIG. 1( b) is aperspective view of one end of the frame showing the adjustable endsections for adjusting width.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the elongated side membersshowing the eyelet hooks, bungee cord, and eyelet holes.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the folding joint that connects theelongated side members and allows for easy foldablity.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a folded batter's box device. FIG. 4also shows an exploded view of the folding joint and the joint insert.

FIG. 5 is a close view of an alternate connecting method, i.e. a hinge,for the elongated members.

FIG. 6 is a drawing of the rear section of the device and shows theguided interaction of the device with a player's foot.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment wherein tubularelongated members are connected by way of elastic shock cords.

FIG. 8 is a top of the batter's box, and shows where the frame is fixedin width and length and is not adjustable.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the figures, FIG. 1 depicts the frame dimension andcomposition of the Batter's Box. In one preferred embodiment, theBatter's Box comprises a rectangular frame having adjustable elasticcross members which divide the inside of the rectangular frame intospecific areas for placement of the feet of players that are involved instride training.

The rigid frame is substantially rectangular in shape and of a sizewhich allows the player to stand inside the frame. The frame has anelongated near-side member and an elongated far-side member, wherein thenear-side member and far-side member form the longer sides of therectangle shape.

FIG. 1 a shows how the area inside the frame is defined into a rearsection, a middle section, and a front section, and wherein each of therear, middle, and front sections contain at least one elastic cord. Inoperation, a player's back foot would be placed in the rear section, theplayer would straddle the middle section, and place their front foot inthe front section.

FIG. 1 a shows that the elastic cords are attached to the rigid frameand each elastic cord is substantially parallel to each other such thatthe elastic cords span the rigid frame by being connected between thenear-side member of the rigid frame and the far-side member of the rigidframe. The elastic cords may be attached by any commonly known method,and by way of non-limiting example eyelets and hooks are shown here.Functional equivalents are well known in the art and are contemplatedwithin the literal scope of the invention.

The elastic cords are adjustable to define a variety of sizes ofsections within the rigid frame.

In a preferred embodiment, the rigid frame has two or more foldingjoints to allow the device to be folded into a smaller size. In anotherpreferred embodiment, the batter's box is foldable so that it may beeasily carried around in a common sports equipment bag.

In a preferred embodiment, the frame is unitary or, it may be made insegments so that it may be stored in a compact manner and easily carriedaround.

FIG. 1 a shows an adjustable frame, but it may also be a fixed, orrigid, frame depending on user preference. In a preferred embodiment,the frame is manufactured from ¾″ by ¾″ square metal stock comprised ofrigid material. In a preferred embodiment, the rigid material may be,but not limited to, steel, plastic, wood, aluminum, carbon fiber, ortitanium. In one preferred embodiment, it can be tubular piping, i.e.circular in cross section.

In the embodiment where the rigid frame is composed of various pieces,it is contemplated that the frame comprise two U-shaped end membersconnected by way of mid-section connecting members.

In one embodiment, the U-shaped end are unitary as shown in FIG. 8. Inanother embodiment, they comprise multiple pieces, i.e. male/femalejoined components, as shown in FIG. !a.

The frame may be manufactured through the process of, but not limitedto, soldering, welding, or as being part of a unitary whole createdthrough a single mold.

Where the left and right sides of the rigid frame (not the elongatedmembers) are adjustable, i.e. by use of male/female joints, the width ofthe batter's box can be customized for the size of a particular player.

The depth of the insertion may be varied to achieve the proper width ofthe batter's box, which is determined by the height and size of thebatter using the invention.

FIG. 1 a shows eyelet hooks connected to near-side elongated member andfar-side elongated member to accommodate the adjustable foot cord. Onepreferred embodiment provides the eyelet holes drilled at 3″, 5″, 7″,9″, 10.5″, 12″, 13.5″, 15″, 16.5″, 19.5″, 21″, 34″, 38−, 39.5″, and 41″inches on each elongated member.

In a preferred non-limiting embodiment, the holes being 7/32″ indiameter for 3/16 eyebolts (1″ shank, ⅞″ thread length, ⅜″ eye). FIG. 1b shows the use of a cotter pin for connecting the end portions. Notethat holes are drilled for adjusting the width of the frame andre-inserting the pin(s) to lock the frame into the desired width.Although a cotter is shown, any common connector is contemplated, suchas pins, bolts, screws, various locking pin type connectors, etc. thatmaintains the frame in the desired shape and size and connects the frametogether at that location.

FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of one of the elongated side membersshowing the eyelet hooks, bungee cord, and eyelet holes. The eyeletholes would be drilled such that each hole would have a correspondinghole across from it on the other elongated member.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the folding joint that connects theelongated side members and allows for easy foldability. FIG. 3 shows howthe connecting members, i.e. elongated members or U-shaped end pieces,can be connected by way of a hidden joint insert. This mechanism allowsfor the unit to be folded flat in a “Z” configuration.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a folded batter's box device. FIG. 4also shows an exploded view of the folding joint and the joint insert.FIG. 4 shows how the device is able to fold into a compact shape and becarried in an ordinary equipment bag, providing a critical element ofconvenience for a coach.

FIG. 5 is a close view of an alternate connecting method, i.e. a hinge,for the elongated members. Without being limited, the connecting methodshould allow for the device to be folded flat.

FIG. 6 is a drawing of the rear section of the device and shows theguided interaction of the device with a player's foot. This is anadvantage compared to training devices that a flat on the ground andprovide no mechanical feedback to the player about the location andmovement of the rear foot.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment wherein tubularelongated members are connected by way of elastic shock cords. Eyeletsholes can also be seen in this figure, although other non-limiting waysof attaching and adjusting the spanning elastic cords are within thelevel of skill known in the art.

In one preferred embodiment, the batter's box device, shown in FIG. 1,is about 54″ long and has an adjustable width of 14″, 16″, or 18″, andis ¾″ tall. The device can range from about 40 to about 60 inches long,from about 10 to about 20 inches in width, and from about ½ to about 1½inches tall. In one preferred embodiment the frame is comprised of, butnot limited to, ¾″ by ¾″ and ½″ by ½″ rigid material. That rigidmaterial may be comprised of, but not limited to, steel, plastic, wood,aluminum, carbon fiber, or titanium.

In use, a player places his feet within the frame. The player places hisfeet one at each end of the frame. Coach or player adjusts the centercords for the player in order to allow for the proper stance. Afterframe is adjusted, the player commences practice swings.

As seen in FIG. 1 a and FIG. 8, the lead cord stops player going to toofar forward by blocking player's stride foot. This mechanical feedbackprovides the player with the proper training to develop a good swingfurther, the frame keeps the player's stride going in the direction ofthe pitcher to avoid an open stance by physically narrowing player'srange for motion. The back foot is similarly restricted in movement bythe back cord and by the frame. The positioning of the back cord is tobe set in order to achieve proper base, base being the width between theleft and right foot.

It will be clear to a person of ordinary skill in the art that the aboveembodiments may be altered or that insubstantial changes may be madewithout departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, thescope of the invention is determined by the scope of the followingclaims and their equitable Equivalents.

1. A portable device for teaching proper batting stance and stride to a baseball player, comprising: a rigid frame that is substantially rectangular in shape and of a size which allows the player to stand inside the frame, the frame having an elongated near-side member and an elongated far-side member, wherein the near-side member and far-side member form the longer sides of the rectangle shape, wherein the area inside the frame is defined into a rear section, a middle section, and a front section, and wherein each of the rear, middle, and front sections contain at least one elastic cord, each elastic cords is attached to the rigid frame and each elastic cord is substantially parallel to each other such that the elastic cords span the rigid frame by being connected between the near-side member of the rigid frame and the far-side member of the rigid frame, and wherein elastic cords are adjustable to define a variety of sizes of sections within the rigid frame, and wherein the rigid frame has two or more folding joints to allow the device to be folded into a smaller size.
 2. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the elastic cords are bungee cords and attached to the rigid frame by using eyelet-hooks.
 3. The portable device of claim 1, wherein rigid frame is at least 0.5 inches in height and provides a raised boundary.
 4. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the device folds into a a compact unit that is substantially square in shape and measures from about 10 to 16 inches along each side and from about 1.5 to about 7 inches in height.
 5. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the rigid frame has a plurality of foot position indicators. 